In the field of telecommunications, communications devices often must be registered on the communications network in order to make calls and to be called. For example, on a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, using a session initiation protocol (SIP), VoIP devices (e.g., terminal adapters and VoIP phones) register themselves periodically with a network registrar by essentially identifying themselves and/or their network locations. Later, when a caller calls the VoIP device, the registrar determines where the called device is for call routing purposes. Registration of single VoIP devices (e.g., personal home devices) is a relatively straight-forward process. However, larger entities, such as large corporations, can include numerous (e.g., thousands) VoIP devices, which all must be registered periodically. Registration of each of the VoIP devices in such large entities using traditional methods can be complex and create network bottlenecks, which can result in low-quality performance.
Conventional methods and systems for registering multiple VoIP devices of a large organization involve identifying the devices to a traditional VoIP Integrated Access Device (IAD). Traditionally, IADs register each device individually by generating a register message on behalf of each device. Each register message includes identification information specific to the associated device, such as the device's phone number and/or IP address. A traditional IAD will typically attempt to register all the VoIP devices with individual register messages being issued for each telephone number. In the case of large organizations, such a process can be time-consuming, cumbersome and require unnecessary overhead or duplication of effort. In addition, generally when an IAD rapidly registers on behalf of each of many individual telephone numbers, undesirable “bursty” network performance can result.
Thus, there is a need to register multiple network devices that may be associated with an organization of multiple devices, in such a way as to minimize complexity and adverse network performance.